Volume 2: Strolling with the Wind, Chapter 36: Keep a Low Profile

After this incident, Chu Tianyu was given more tasks along the way—occasionally using his sweat towel as a mask. The reason for wearing a mask wasn’t fear of being recognized, but rather to prevent anyone else from spotting him. As for those who forced Chu Tianyu to use his towel, their fate could be summed up in one word: “Death!”
Although Chu Tianyu was often bullied along the way, whenever something like what happened before occurred, he would act without mercy, leaving no survivors. On the surface, he appeared meek, embodying the humble and unrestrained demeanor of his masters, but deep down, he possessed the ruthless and merciless attitude of a fanatic scholar when it came to matters involving his principles.
As the start of school approached, Chu Tianyu gave up the idea of continuing his journey on foot and took a vehicle to Beijing. However, they arrived in Beijing a bit early, around 5 a.m. Not far from the station, there was a stall selling breakfast items—pancakes, noodles, and more. Chu Tianyu went to a pancake stall, intending to buy something to eat, only to find the vendor was an elderly woman with white hair and deep wrinkles. Although the temperature was still low in the early morning, she was already sweating profusely from working hard. Though her movements were fairly skilled, they were slow, especially since she had to handle both cooking and cash handling alone, which seemed quite strenuous for her.
Chu Tianyu stood there, stunned.
After a while, he was awakened by an old but kind voice.
“Young man, young man, I see you’ve been standing here for ages. The old lady made an extra pancake just for you. Here, eat it while it’s hot…”
Before Chu Tianyu could react, a steaming pancake was handed to him. The old woman continued, “Everyone faces difficulties when away from home. Eat it; it’s free…”
Chu Tianyu instinctively took the pancake. Looking at the golden, hot pancake in his hands, he realized for the first time how delicious, how “beautiful,” and how tempting this street food, which usually cost so much, could be…

What benefits society, what involves helping others, what involves eradicating evil—these truly fundamental principles of being a good person are all condensed in this small pancake. How much help has Bingguan given to others? Don’t ask what rewards there will be; as long as one can do their part within their capabilities, that’s enough!!!
Seeing the old woman’s sincere smile and kind eyes, Chu Tianyu suddenly came up with an idea. Without revealing the truth, he quickly finished eating the pancake, wiped his mouth exaggeratedly, and said, “Auntie, this is so delicious! Thank you so much. Why are you the only one working here?”
“Don’t be polite, young man. Well, it’s because my husband has his old illness again; he’s staying at home.”
“Well… Auntie, let me help you. I may not have much else, but I have strength!”
“Hehe, that’s not possible! Besides, strength isn’t very useful for making pancakes…”
“Then I’ll at least assist you. I can learn first, right?”
“Well…”
“Stop saying ‘well’. Hehe, Auntie, collect the money first. Let me wipe the pancake pan for you…”
…
“Hehe, young man, thank you so much. You’ve helped me all morning. It’s almost eight o’clock; it’s time to close up. Here, I’ll make you another pancake. You young people can’t get full just from one…”
“Thank you, Auntie. Is it always this busy here every morning?”
“Not really. It’s busier on Mondays and Saturdays. Other times, it’s fine.”
“Why is that?”
“On Mondays, everyone has just had the weekend and wakes up late. More people don’t have time to make breakfast. On Saturdays, it’s mainly those night owls from the weekend who stay up all night and come here for breakfast before going home to sleep, hehe…”
Finding the old woman’s story interesting, Chu Tianyu laughed as he helped her tidy up the food cart. By then, he had already decided that from then on, he would come here early every Monday and Saturday to help. Doing small acts of kindness was more meaningful than giving money directly, and it was also a way for him to temper his character…
After sending the old woman home, Chu Tianyu asked her for directions and then packed up his backpack before heading toward the school.
Although Chu Tianyu had been to Beijing many times before, it was only as a child to visit his grandfather, and he always traveled by private car. His impression of Beijing was rather vague. So when he left the station, he deliberately bought the latest map of Beijing. With the old woman’s guidance, it wasn’t particularly difficult to find the location of Beifu Academy.

Following the map, the road to Haidian District was clearly marked. It was already past 8 a.m., the peak time for commuting, with traffic flowing constantly in both directions. Along the way, Chu Tianyu gained a somewhat direct impression of the capital city.

Beifu College was located between Tsinghua University and Peking University, at the southern end of Tsinghua West Road. Although it was a second-tier university, its unique location made it a special institution. Its students could generally be divided into three categories: first, those who were highly talented and could have been admitted to Tsinghua or Peking University but failed for various reasons; they chose Beifu as a way to indirectly fulfill their dreams of attending these top universities. Second, those who had already passed the threshold for second-tier universities, like Chu Tianyu. Third, a large group whose numbers equaled those of the first two categories—mostly wealthy students who didn’t have enough scores but could pay their way in. Since it was extremely difficult to get into Tsinghua or Peking University through legitimate means, they preferred to come here, where they could experience the strong academic atmosphere of those universities, stay for a few years, and then use their connections to go abroad for master’s or doctoral degrees, returning to China as “returning overseas scholars.”

Chu Tianyu chose this place also because of its environment—it was convenient to study near Tsinghua and Peking University. He had also heard that the management here was extremely lax, allowing him more personal time. According to discussions on online forums, it was practically a paradise of freedom, where one could do whatever they wanted, which suited his current situation well.

Chu Tianyu was very eager for college life. As he got closer, his steps became lighter. The street ahead was Tsinghua West Road. According to the map, once he reached it, he would turn right and walk a short distance before arriving at the main entrance of Beifu College.

It was likely the peak time for new students to register. With one student accompanied by two parents, plus various vehicles for transportation, Beifu College must be extremely busy. Even if it wasn’t crowded, it would surely be chaotic. Thinking of this, and taking advantage of the relative calmness, Chu Tianyu took down his simple backpack, sorted out all the documents needed for enrollment, put them in a bag, and carried it with him to avoid scrambling around later when things got busy.

Just as he finished organizing everything, a luxury Mercedes slowly turned into the slow lane and stopped not far ahead of him.

“Bang!” With the sound of the Mercedes door opening, a young man jumped out. Chu Tianyu happened to be walking by at that moment, and the two of them collided head-on. By the time they realized what had happened, they were both shocked—not because of anything else, but because the brands and styles of their clothes were exactly the same: the same T-shirts, the same jeans, the same sandals…

Chu Tianyu knew very well that he had chosen these plain clothes deliberately to keep a low profile. The entire outfit, including clothes and shoes, cost just over 100 yuan, and he had bought it at some discount supermarket during a sale.

But the person across from him was puzzled. How could someone who drove such a car wear the same clothes as him? Could it be…

Before Chu Tianyu could think further, he saw that the person across from him, who had been curiously observing him, suddenly heard a magnetic voice from inside the Mercedes calling out to him.

As if suddenly remembering something, the person leaned into the car and kept pulling out three huge bags, responding to the voice from time to time. Chu Tianyu only caught the last sentence, which the person replied to in an impatient tone, “I know, Mom. You’ve said it eight hundred times already—eat well, dress warmly, carry an umbrella in the rain, wear more clothes in cold weather. My ears are covered in calluses from listening. Okay, okay, Mom. Just drop me off here. I need to keep a low profile…”

“Sigh, my child… I just said a few more words…” The rest of her words were interrupted by the loud thud of the door being closed by the young man.

He waved his hand at her from inside the car and said, “Mom, go ahead without worry. I’m not a child anymore. Can’t I handle such a small thing?”

Ignoring their goodbyes, Chu Tianyu took the opportunity to observe the other person more closely. His build was similar to Chu Tianyu’s, but unlike him, his muscles were clearly weak, and with his fair skin, he seemed to lack exercise and not enjoy outdoor activities. As for his appearance, he had bright eyes and well-proportioned features, making him quite handsome. Yet, to Chu Tianyu, there was an indescribable quality about him—his demeanor mixed confidence with a sense of vulnerability. His bold words and actions contrasted with his cautious gaze, which could instantly turn into a sly look, as if he was constantly calculating others. But this “slyness” didn’t seem malicious; it more resembled playful mischief…

In terms of observing people’s appearances, Chu Tianyu had also learned a lot from his second master, Xian Yun. Normally, as long as it wasn’t someone with high cultivation deliberately hiding their true nature, Chu Tianyu could generally figure it out. But looking at this person—whose energy was restless and whose steps were heavy and uneven—Chu Tianyu believed he definitely wasn’t some highly skilled individual hiding his abilities. So why did he give off such a complex impression? This left Chu Tianyu deeply puzzled, and he stood there stunned for a moment.

As the car drove away, a voice was heard: “Mom, don’t worry. I’ll take care of myself and keep a low profile…”

Only then did Chu Tianyu come back to his senses. He chuckled to himself, “What’s wrong with me today? I got distracted by just a random passerby. Seriously, judging by his appearance, he must be some rich kid here to study. I guess, like me, he wants to keep a low profile and avoid drawing attention.”

After laughing at himself, Chu Tianyu was about to walk away when suddenly the man called out urgently, “Hey, classmate! Wait a moment. Are you also a new student reporting to Beifu Academy?”

Hearing the word “also,” and recalling his earlier thoughts, Chu Tianyu thought to himself, “Could it be such a coincidence? Judging from his tone, he seems to be a new student at Beifu this year, just like me. Plus, we both share the idea of keeping a low profile, and we’re even wearing similar affordable sets from discount stores. It seems we’re quite fated to meet!”

With this thought, Chu Tianyu felt inclined to get to know him, so he stopped and replied, “Mm, yes. It seems you’re also here to report as a new student, right?”

The man immediately smiled and said, “Hehe, of course. Luckily, I have sharp eyes. I saw the registration documents in your bag. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been sure you were a new student. Hehe, great! Now I’m not alone. By the way, is that all you brought for registration?”

Chu Tianyu was impressed. “What keen observation! I remember that aside from carrying his luggage and saying goodbye, he only glanced at me a few times when we first met, yet he was able to spot the registration documents in my bag.”

Out of curiosity, Chu Tianyu became even more interested in getting to know him and said, “I don’t have much to bring either. Just some basic necessities…”

Before he could finish speaking, the man cut in, saying, “Enough, enough, I get it. There’s really no need to be embarrassed. I’m not particularly special—just approachable and friendly. From the way you’re dressed, I can tell clearly—it’s from a discount store; the whole set costs only 118 yuan. Tsk tsk, I guess your family bought it because you’re starting college and they want you to look presentable. Plus, with such little luggage and you coming on foot, along with that honest, naive look on your face, it’s easy to tell you come from a poor family. Although you strive to improve yourself, you still feel inferior and hesitant, not daring to be bold in dealing with people or matters. But it doesn’t matter—you’re lucky to have met me. Follow me from now on, and I guarantee you’ll have plenty to eat and drink, no worries about clothes or food. After graduation, I’ll even help you find the most respectable job at the best company…”

Watching the man quickly grasp the situation, act like a boss, and start boasting, Chu Tianyu could only sweat profusely. Who on earth had he met? If not for his “special” circumstances, what this man said would indeed be quite accurate. But now, he really didn’t know whether to laugh or cry!

Suddenly, the man changed the subject: “By the way, you saw what just happened, right? Since you seem honest, I won’t hide it from you. My family is wealthy, and I’m the legitimate heir to a powerful family. But I don’t want others to know. Plus, I’m very humble, which is why I dress like this. I got off here early to keep a low profile. Understand? This is all part of my careful plan. Imagine entering school as an ordinary person to hide my true identity, only for a stunning campus beauty to fall in love with me and eventually discover my true identity through a touching love story. How cool is that? Amazing! Ahahaha, I’m truly a genius, hahaha…”

Chu Tianyu, still sweating, nodded involuntarily, thinking to himself, “You’re really amazing!”

Only after the guy calmed down from his delusional laughter did he speak to Chu Tianyu again: “Alright, after telling you all this, I think you understand what I mean. First, keep this secret for me. Second, follow me from now on as my underling. I think it’s an honor for you. Here, take these over two thousand yuan to use first. Haha, following me will earn you more than what you’d make once you start working officially, hahaha…”

With that, he took out a stack of banknotes from his pocket and handed it to Chu Tianyu. It was a thick stack, likely worth more than 2,000 yuan. He also pointed to the leather bag in his own hand and said, “I’ll keep this bag for myself. I’ll leave the two heavy bags on the ground to you…” Then he gestured with his eyes toward the two heavy bags on the ground.

Chu Tianyu was truly defeated by him—this was even possible! But seeing his straightforward manner and his “easygoing” style, he couldn’t help but consider the idea of becoming his “underling.” Following this “boss,” he might even enjoy a comfortable life—full of excitement!

So he didn’t argue further and started picking up the luggage on the ground, thinking, “It’s good I’ve trained; otherwise, an ordinary ‘underling’ would have a hard time with these two heavy bags! Hehe, what an interesting boss. Just think—not long ago, he kept saying things like ‘stay low-key,’ but as soon as he got off the car, he started acting like a boss, speaking arrogantly from the start and spending thousands of yuan casually. It seems he’s not exactly ‘low-key’ at all!!!”

Watching Chu Tianyu’s actions, the man nodded in satisfaction and continued giving instructions, “Hmm, not bad. You seem ordinary, but you’re actually quite smart! Have you got them? If so, let’s hurry up and leave. We need to register early and settle in. I’ll treat you to a big meal at noon. Following me, you won’t be treated poorly. By the way, I still don’t know your name.”

“Chu Tianyu…”

“Oh, Chu Tianyu? Not bad. It’s a pretty decent name. But compared to my name, it’s still a bit lacking!”

“What’s your name then?”

“Bai Lei!” the man said leisurely.

“A scoundrel?” Chu Tianyu asked in surprise.